Harry Potter and the Dark Days
by bluewaves
Summary: Fast Forward into Harry's seventh and ultimate year at Hogwarts, a year of suspense, loyalty, romance, and darkness. Finally Harry succombs to his prophesy and faces Voldemort once and unequivocably for all. Please read and review!
1. The Storm

The Storm)  
  
On this day of July 27, Number four Privet Drive stood still and serene, barely affected by the unsettling winds whipping across its freshly painted and glazed structure. The rains poured heavily down upon the house, filling its recently cleaned gutters with the vigilant moisture of the sky. If colors conveyed emotions, the sky would be an unquestionable sad case, for its face frowned of dark grays. Its body was slowly transforming into a funnel shape, indicating that a tornado was on the way.  
  
Inside the house, sat three quiet people, a man, a woman, and a fat child, who were obviously greatly displaced by the storm outside. They were used to hot summers where the only worry was if one wore sun block or not. They were not used to the whistling and hard winds beating upon their beautiful house and moods.  
  
"I wonder what's going to happen mom," the fat child said.  
  
"Don't worry duddle-dudd-luddeykins, the storm will pass before dinner's over," explained Dudley's mom.  
  
"Don't give me that crap woman. Who could even think about eating while there's a monster about to tear into our house and into us," replied Dudley with a very frightened face.  
  
Out of nowhere came a reply.  
  
"What, no, no, I could not have just heard what I think I just heard. Did you just say 'how could anyone think about eating?', 'cause if you did, we need to have more tornadoes. Maybe then you could lose all of that dead weight you carry you fat oaf," said a boy, sitting in the shadows against a cold wall. Harry Potter was now rolling on the ground snorting laughter into the beige carpet. Harry was still mad about Dudley punching him in the face earlier that day for beating him in a game of Monopoly. Dudley's face was now growing hot with rage; his cheeks and nose were now swelling with anger just like his Pops'. Dudley jumped up from his classic couch and was ready to punch Harry again when his dear old Dad saved him the trouble.  
  
"Harry, how dare you gather the nerve to insult the finer people in life, like Dudley. Who do you think you are? One more word and I promise I'll strangle the bloody life out of you. You have already been chewing on my last nerve since you enrolled in that damned school of weirdness," huffed Harry's Uncle Vernon.  
  
"Did you mean Hogwarts' School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, Uncle V?" asked Harry with a sort of feigned befuddled look on his face, followed by a slight smirk. Harry knew that he had just touched a nerve with his Uncle and he was happy that he had. He was hoping that his Aunt and Uncle would become so annoyed with him that they would kick him out of the house. Then he would be able to stay at Grimmauld Place until school started in the fall. That would mean that he would never have to set foot back into the Dursley's home again since he would be graduating that year. Harry was extremely excited about the thought of finding a new place to live after graduation. He was not really sure where that would be exactly, but he knew that he was not going to return to his Aunt and Uncle's.  
  
"Now that's it boy, march yourself upstairs to your room," now it was Harry's Uncle that wore the smirk. Dudley's face contorted into one of a pig's as he shrieked with excitement at this last comment of his father's. Uncle Vernon sat on the burgundy couch, rapping his fingers against the patterned armrest watching his nephew, Harry. Aunt Petunia stood up from the sofa, walked over to the living room window and craned her neck into the curtains, the same way she always did when listening for neighborly gossip, in order to look out onto the storm. She shook her head as if there was a spider trapped in her hair.  
  
"Vernon, I am also very displeased with Harry's rudeness but, you can't possibly send him upstairs. It's too dangerous. You know what the weatherman on the radio said before the signal was lost; he said that everyone should move to the lowest level of their house in order to be safest from the oncoming tornado," said Harry's Aunt Petunia with a worried look on her face until she scowled at her nephew. Harry thought that her Aunt must be remembering the promise that she made to Dumbledore that she would shelter him and try to keep him safe from outside harm.  
  
"Hummph, I know exactly what the weatherman said, and actually I believe that every word he spoke was true. Therefore knowing this, I am sending Harry upstairs; I would actually send him outside if I was not afraid of opening the door and allowing for a cascade of wind and rain to disturb the aesthetic equilibrium of our well-kept house. I could care less if after this storm, I was blessed with never having to hear another word from this ungrateful little weird boy," replied Vernon to his wife. "Now, that being clear, I'll give Harry a choice, he can either sit there and shut his trap or he can march right on upstairs and fight the tornado with that abracadabra mess of his, my money being on the storm," said Vernon.  
  
"Whatever," sighed Harry as he slunk back onto the uninviting and uncomfortable wall; he had not even tried to sit on the couch for he knew he would be forced to move. He was really starting to get mad at his family. In his opinion, they just liked to hate him for no reason. He was not fooled by his Aunt taking up for him because he knew that she was not looking out for him but for her prized reputation. Harry felt that if the neighbors ever found out about their nephew being left at the top of a house during that storm, they would never be able to live it down, let alone show their face outside.  
  
"GET UPSTAIRS NOW BOY! I'M TIRED OF YOUR FILTHY LITTLE MOUTH. LEAVE RIGHT NOW BEFORE I SEND YOU OUTSIDE," exclaimed Harry's uncle, who was now clutching the couch arm with very red knuckles. Dudley made little pointing fingers toward the top of the stairs in order to taunt his cousin, while doing a little jig. This was probably the most exercise he had gotten the entire day.  
  
Harry began to trudge upstairs. Fear of being strangled by his Uncle kept him from protesting his punishment; without his magic, Harry knew that he was no match for the beefy man downstairs. Harry thought that his Uncle might kick him out of the house for being an annoying prat, but never did he think that he would be sent to his possible death. Harry slowly walked up the squeaking wooden stairs, pausing at the final one to let a tear roll down his cheek. He was really ready to rejoin his friends at school and escape the drama that plagued his miserable excuse of a family. Harry then silently walked to his room, and closed the door behind him.  
  
The hall outside Harry's door was long, dark, and silent despite the catastrophe going on outside. Family pictures, of course excluding Harry, stood framed on the cold walls. Not one was set at a skewed angle; they all stood straight, resolute, and dust-free upon the sturdy wall. Inside of Harry's room was a little less order. In one corner was a stack of books, surrounded by loose papers which used to be bound reports on potion mixes, famous transfigurations, as well as elixir ingredients. Hedwig's cage was hung near Harry's window, and Hedwig was flying around the room hooting every time she went near the window to witness the storm. Harry was sitting on his unmade bed trying to calculate the amount of danger he was in.  
  
"Hedwig, I guess this is goodbye my friend. I'm not sure if we're going to make it out of this predicament. In fact, I suggest that if you think you can fly fast enough that you try and save yourself. Here, I'll open the window and you should try and fly east as fast as you can if you know what's best for you. I'll miss you but it's the only way," Harry told his owl. Hedwig did not approach the window but settled upon Harry's shoulder. "You're such a loyal bird Hedwig, but I don't want you to die with me just out of loyalty. I want you to live even if I don't," explained Harry. Yet Hedwig failed to budge off of Harry's shoulder. "I don't want to do this the hard way Hedwig, you're going to live whether you want to or not."  
  
At this point Harry walked to his window and tried with all of his might to open it against the pressure of the storm. After much stress on his broadening shoulders, he managed to open the glass, moving on to the next task of prying Hedwig's claws off of his shoulder. While struggling with the owl, Harry suddenly heard his Uncle screaming from the foot of the stairs.  
  
"HARRY, get downstairs now." Harry lackadaisically closed the window and carried Hedwig down the steps with him on his shoulder. When he finally reached the bottom, he saw his Uncle staring at him. His Uncle scowled when he saw the owl, but he chose not to say anything about it.  
  
"Harry," said his Uncle Vernon, "I'm only going to ask you this once, do you know of any of those uhh magical uhhh what-are-those-thingies, uhh spells that could protect our house from the storm?"  
  
"Hunh, you want me to use a spell?" asked Harry with the most surprised face he had ever worn. He saw his cousin and Aunt peering around the corner of the wall with hopeful yet scared faces. A loud crack and BOOM of thunder shook the house and everyone in it.  
  
"You heard me, yes and quick if you know what's good for you. I figure you might as well use that weird education of yours for some type of good. So do you?" replied his Uncle. Uncle Vernon's face was tomato red at this point. Harry could tell that this was taking so much out of his Uncle to ask him this.  
  
"Ummm, I don't know any specific storm-repellant spells and even if I did, I could not use it outside of school. Magic usage is restricted for underage wizards outside of the academic year. Although I do know one general spell, I don't know if it would work on the entire house even if I could use it," explained Harry, while fidgeting his fingers behind his back. He was still trying to process the shock of his Uncle asking him to use the very thing he hated, under his roof, or for his roof actually. Harry saw his Uncle begin to look very agitated.  
  
"If you know of any type of spell to use, USE IT, because we are about to be killed dammit," screamed his Uncle.  
  
"I'm sorry Uncle Vernon, but I cannot risk getting expelled. I have already used too much magic outside of school. I would surely never be allowed to go back to Hog-I mean school if I use magic again," said Harry to his Uncle.  
  
"DO YOU REALLY THINK THAT I CARE IF YOU GET EXPLELLED FROM THAT SCHOOL OF YOURS? REALITY CHECK, I DON'T SO GO UPSTAIRS, GET THAT STICK OF YOURS AND USE THAT SPELL," frantically yelled his Uncle as the whistling outside got louder.  
  
Harry ran upstairs to his room and got his wand. He usually would have continued to resist his Uncle's wishes, however he really wanted to try and survive the night as well. He actually was wondering why he didn't think of the idea earlier while he was calculating the chance of him surviving the night. Harry ran downstairs once more and began to approach the front door.  
  
"What are you doing Harry?" asked his Aunt Petunia. "Don't open the door, you'll let the entire storm into our house."  
  
"I have to go outside to use the spell. It won't work inside the house," explained Harry. He saw his Uncle along with his cousin rounding the corner down the hall. His  
  
Uncle had a you're-not-going-to-do-that look on his face, so Harry hurried and opened the door before his Uncle could reach him. He shut the door behind him and began to try and work his way a few feet away from the house against the strong winds. Rain and heavy hail was beating down upon him as he struggled to move closer to the mailbox. There was no way that Hedwig would have been able to fly in this weather thought Harry to himself. He then wondered if Hedwig was refusing to fly away in order to be loyal to him or to protect her own skin. Harry giggled a little to himself.  
  
Once standing around twenty feet away from the house Harry raised his wand and shouted out the spell that he hoped would be enough to protect the house from the oncoming wind machine.  
  
"IMPERVIOUSO," shouted Harry. He saw an oily transparent layer form around the entire house. Good, thought Harry to himself. "It worked," exclaimed Harry, "I can't believe it." Harry quickly made his way back to the house, narrowly missing slipping on a huge puddle of rain.  
  
Harry attempted to open the front door, but it didn't budge. He figured that maybe the door automatically locked when he closed the door on his way out there.  
  
"ALOHAMORA," shouted Harry, pointing his wand at the doorknob, however the doorknob did not unlock. And then Harry remembered what spell he used. Of course I can't use the unlocking spell on the house I just shielded, thought Harry. Harry peered into the window by the front door, however all he could see was patterned burgundy stripes. Harry began to rap on the window, hoping that someone would open the door for him. A minute later, Harry's Uncle peered through the curtains with an unreadable expression on his face.  
  
"You have to open the door," shouted Harry through the window. Although it was loudly storming outside, Harry could hear the loud "Hummph" that his Uncle gave before he slowly closed back the curtains, leaving a slight crack in the curtains where Harry could look into the house. He saw his Aunt walk into the area and ask Vernon something, although he could not hear what she asked. He then saw his Uncle shrug his massive shoulders and mouth something.  
  
Inside the house, Petunia shuffled into the kitchen, where she asked her husband about Harry's whereabouts. Vernon twiddled his thumbs, and replied to his wife.  
  
"I don't know where Harry is. He probably magicked himself somewhere else after he did whatever he did to this house," said Harry's Uncle, who happened to look very shaken about his momentary acceptance of magic.  
  
Harry's face grew hot, despite the cold of the storm as he saw his Aunt and Uncle walk out of the vicinity. He had just witnessed his Uncle abandon him outside right after he had just saved their skin. He could not believe it. I know that my Uncle could not hate me that much, I mean what type of family do I have, Harry thought to himself.  
  
At that moment, a jolt went through Harry's stomach as he realized that he was not going to be able to get back into the house. Gazing into the sky, rain and hail bombarded Harry's glasses and somehow managed to cascade upon his eyes as well. Harry saw the funnel shaped cloud up the street, slowly making its way to number four Privet Drive. He knew that he had to seek shelter and fast before he was not even able to become expelled from school. Harry started to run down the street. Pitter. Patter. Split. Splat. Puddles of water all seemed to form just for Harry to slide in. Once, while frantically jumping over a stray box in the street, Harry's glasses dislodged themselves from the bridge of his nose, causing Harry to search blindly in the street for them. His hands tightly gripped the concrete, water cascaded over his fingers as he looked into the sky to view the oncoming storm. He crawled on all fours, with his wand tucked into the waist of his jeans, feeling for his glasses since the rain was too much for him to use his eyes. Once he found them, he realized that he was going to die. The tornado was coming right for him. "Run. Don't give up, you will live," said a womanly voice in his head. Harry didn't even stop to think about the speaker but immediately set his calves into gear. He began to race through the park where he often saw his cousin beating up innocent kids, and around the corner, and then up the street, where he suddenly came to a halt in front of a house. He skipped up the front porch steps to the patio door with his wand out, feebly shouted Imperviouso, and began to loudly knock on the door.  
  
"Help, let me in, let me in," shouted Harry as he pounded upon the door.  
  
At that moment, the door flung open and a woman swept down upon Harry to give him a hug.  
  
"There's no time to hug me now, I have to get-get inside before it's too late," exclaimed Harry.  
  
His secret guardian smiled upon him and let him in the house. After she closed the door, the smell of cats and cinnamon wafted into Harry's nose, as he plopped down upon one of Arabella Figg's squashy orange sofas. 


	2. A Mystery

A Mystery)  
  
"How did you do that?" asked Harry of Arabella Figg.  
  
"How'd I do what?" asked Arabella of Harry.  
  
"How'd you talk in my head? I-I heard your voice in my head while I was trying to get away from the tornado. And-and I don't think that my spell worked-on your house that is, I tried but I was too tired. The storm, it's coming straight for us."  
  
"Calm down Harry, my house does not need a spell to protect it. Dumbledore charmed my house a long while ago in order to keep it safe from invaders and storms and other things of the like. Let someone try to break into my house, they'll instantly be turned into a toad. I've actually seen a coupla' toads jumping around here, no telling who they were. I'd think one was Mundungus if I hadn't seen him afterwards, sketchy fool. But what you need is a warm cup of water to calm your nerves after such an ordeal."  
  
"A warm cup of water? I don't think I follow."  
  
"Yes Harry, a cup of warm water. I give it to my cats all of the time when their feathers, or shall I say furs, are ruffled. Works like a charm."  
  
Arabella flitted into the kitchen to fetch the drink, while Harry sat on the lumpy, yet comfortable sofa, catching his breath. A myriad of thoughts were racing though Harry's mind. He was very confused about the voice in his head. Voldemort's voice was commonplace in his head, but Arabella Figg's, that was just strange. The connection between him and Arabella was the most befuddling to him. His scar was beginning to cause a dull pain in Harry's forehead.  
  
Arabella returned to the den and set the water down on the end table near Harry. Harry picked up the glass and began to drink the beverage. The liquid warmed his throat as it went down, but that was about it. Harry did not feel any calmer than he was before.  
  
"Any calmer?" asked Arabella  
  
"Sure," answered Harry.  
  
"So what happened today?"  
  
"My Aunt and Uncle locked me out of the house during the storm. I was trapped outside with the tornado, when finally I heard a voice in my head that told me to run and seek shelter. The voice was yours, which is very confusing to me. After I heard you, I ran to your house as fast as possible."  
  
"I'm happy that you thought to come here, but I have no idea about my voice being the one you heard. I'm nothing but a squib, I can't send voices to others. I wish that I could, then I would send little nasty messages to those who need to clean up their act, like one of your watch guards Mundungus. Maybe you thought that you were hearing voices, I mean you were under a lot of stress."  
  
While the two were talking, the doorbell rang. Tonks was standing outside on the porch, drenched with rain. Arabella ran to the door, and opened it wide, revealing Tonks and her long, dark green, wet hair. Tonks squeezed out her hair unto the rug just inside Arabella's door. She then changed her hair to dry, cascading, flaming red curls.  
  
"Hi Bella, you wouldn't happened to have seen Harry eh?" asked Tonks.  
  
"Hey Tonks," said Harry after coming to the door.  
  
"Harry, where did you go? I was on your guard and I was trying to reach you and help you escape the storm. I saw you look for something on the road, and then you just started running," asked Tonks.  
  
"Oh yea, I had dropped my glasses, and I had to find them nearly blind. After I found them, I decided to run here since the tornado was coming straight for me." Harry decided not to tell Tonks about hearing Arabella in his head since he was not sure about what happened. He wasn't even sure if he should have told Arabella; she probably thought that he was experiencing some sort of shock or was turning crazy. They all walked to the den and sat down on the couch.  
  
"I mean, I thought that you were part of a track team or something because you were fast as lightning. I started to worry since I couldn't find you; eventually I gave up and decided to come here to Bella's house. I was going to contact the order and set up a search team for you, but it looks like that isn't necessary. Hey, why weren't you at home anyway?" asked Tonks.  
  
"My guardians locked me out of the house. My Uncle, he tried to kill me. Sad isn't it. As I get older, he hates me even more than he used to. I mean, what did I ever do to him?" replied Harry.  
  
"Ignoramus if you ask me," said Tonks. "I never quite understood why you have to live there. I'm sure that the order could have found a more suitable place for you to live," said Tonks. Harry slightly cringed at Tonks' last statement. He felt that he did not need an order to find a place for him to live. Thoughts of independence and making his own way were always saturating his mind.  
  
"I don't know why, people keep thinking that they need to dictate my every move. I think that I'm quite capable of taking care of myself. I've proved it haven't I?" asked Harry with a slightly sour tone. Immediately after speaking, he felt bad for snapping at Tonks. After all, he felt that it was not her fault that he was so heavily guarded and underestimated. "I'm sorry if I sounded mad. I'm just ready to get out on my own without a million eyes and wands pointed at me," explained Harry.  
  
"We just have your best interests in mind, especially since we know that you are one of the dark lord's prime interests. But I understand Harry, I was a teenager once, not too long ago as a matter of fact," said Tonks, her dark brown eyes searching Harry.  
  
"Yeah I know," replied Harry. Harry knew that he had become moodier ever since Sirius died. He had to constantly remind himself of who he should take the blame out on. Harry was no longer afraid of Voldemort. In fact, he welcomed any confrontation with him. After his godfather was killed, he vowed that he would be the one to take out the foul creature, Voldemort.  
  
"So what do you think of my hair Harry?" asked Tonks with a flashing smile, her red curls bobbing with excitement.  
  
"I think they're nice," replied Harry, shifting uncomfortably on the couch. He actually really admired Tonks' new look, secretly happy about her ability to change hairstyles at a mere thought.  
  
"Arabella, you wouldn't happen to have a cup of warm water that I could drink, do you. I'm a little thirsty and could use a stress reliever. Things with the order have really been congested and busy."  
  
After Arabella disappeared in the kitchen once more, Harry turned to Tonks.  
  
"Not you too? Don't tell me that you really believe that heated water is actually doing something but warming your throat," exclaimed Harry, now laughing. The pain on his forehead was dimming.  
  
"Ha, well I was like you when I first heard that, but after about six offers, the water did indeed start to make me feel better. It's probably some type of placebo effect, smart squib that Bella."  
  
"Here Tonks," said Arabella after returning from the kitchen.  
  
"So what's been going on with the order?" asked Arabella.  
  
"About everything that you can imagine. We're still trying to de-possess two of the kids from Hogwarts. We got six of the kids back to normal, however he-who-must-not-be-named still has a reign over two Slytherin students. They probably don't want to be free of him, especially since one of the students' parents are suspected death eaters. But we're doing everything that we can. The rest of the order's affairs are top-secret, but you can believe me that they're stressful. Speaking of stress where's that water at?" asked Tonks eyeing Harry with a mischievous smile.  
  
Harry tried to suppress a laugh as he watched Tonks drink down the placebo water. He vowed at that moment to never let himself be fooled into thinking magical remedies lie in plain ole' water. As he let his thoughts wander he suddenly realized that he was in dire straits.  
  
"Tonks, what am I going to do about Hogwarts. I used magic and I am surely going to be expelled now. Fudge is definitely going to have my neck on this one," exclaimed Harry. He was now starting to feel queasy at the thought of going back to his Aunt and Uncle's, never to leave since he wouldn't be finishing school now.  
  
"What did you use magic for Harry?" asked Tonks  
  
"He used a spell on his Aunt and Uncle's house in order to protect it from an oncoming tornado. If you ask me, Harry shouldn't be punished since the spell was meant to protect him and his family's lives," volunteered Arabella.  
  
"Well, I have a history of using magic for self-defense over the summer, you remember don't you Ms. Figg? It was my fifth year, and the ministry was good and ready to ban me if it wasn't for Dumbledore. My life is officially over, I'm going to be chucked out of school for sure," remarked Harry.  
  
"You might not Harry, I'll talk to Dumbledore and see what he can do for you," assured Tonks. She threw her head to one side, jumped up from her chaise and walked to the front door. "I must hurry if I want to contact Dumbledore before you're officially expelled." Tonks briskly went outside in the rain and apparated to Grimmauld Place.  
  
"Why does it seem that every year, I have to go through the Ministry of Magic in order to return to school? Why am I constantly put in some type of position where I use magic against the underage decree? I think I'm jinxed Ms. Figg," said Harry. His fingers were starting to shake at the thought of being expelled. Harry would rather be face to face with Voldemort than return to Privet Drive, condemned to a life of irritation and uncaring family members.  
  
"After this year, you won't have to worry about the underage rule because you won't be considered underage anymore. That'll be nice won't it Harry," asked Arabella.  
  
"It'll be nicer if I avoid expulsion," solemnly replied Harry. Harry sat on the couch, with his head between his legs. He was forcefully trying to hold back tears. Thoughts of his friends getting into trouble at school without him were too much for him to bear. He missed his godfather more than ever now. He felt that if Sirius had still been around, he would at least be mollified a bit with the thought of residing with him. After Sirius died, Harry was never quite the same. He continued to partake of his studies his sixth year of school; however he was not as cheerful as he used to be. Hermione, Ron, Luna, Neville, and the rest of his friends stuck by him regardless of his new somber self. He loved his friends, and the thought of not seeing them in the fall made him want to keel over and die. He couldn't lose his godfather and them no matter what.  
  
"Ms. Figg, do you think that I could maybe hit the sack. I'm sorry if I've ruined your day," said Harry with a sullen face.  
  
"Listen to me Harry, you may be going through a rough time in your life now, but things will get better eventually, I promise. As for punching the hay, I've already laid down fresh sheets for you in the same guest bed that you used when you were younger. I remember those days, I don't think that you used to like being over here much really. But good night Harry," replied Arabella. She then turned and shuffled to her room, her hair rollers bouncing and flouncing with every step.  
  
Harry began to trudge to the guest room. As a matter of fact, Arabella was right that Harry did not like his visits to her house. But Harry doubted that things would get better in time. He was not sure of his future too much but he did know that Voldemort would not be a part of it as long as breath and blood flowed throughout his body.  
  
Inside of the guest room resided lots of dust-laden furniture and a squeaky bed. After peeling his clothes, save his boxers, Harry slid into the bed, pulled the covers over his head, and stared at the cotton surrounding him. Although he was beat from earlier that day, he could not find the serenity to allow himself to fall asleep. He was still in deep thought about expulsion and Voldemort and the Ministry of Magic and Hermione and Ron, and he finally began to drift off to sleep, when he suddenly heard a loud rapping on the two-paneled window in his room.  
  
Harry jumped out of bed, grabbed his wand and began to cautiously walk over to the window. He saw two gray owls and a white owl coming in from the sky. He sighed relief and opened up the window allowing them to come in. The two gray owls dropped their letters at his feet and returned to the skies without even a second glance at Harry. The white owl flew in the window, void of a letter and perched himself atop Harry's shoulders.  
  
"Hedwig, I missed you," sighed Harry as he reached down and picked up the two letters. He already knew what one of them said, but he wasn't too sure about the other one. After reading the first letter, he found out that he had breeched the underage decree of underage wizardry and that he would have to have his wand destroyed soon. The second letter was quite different:  
  
Mr. Harry Potter,  
  
You have breeched the underage decree one time too many, however your wand will not be destroyed nor will you be expelled from school. Please disregard the first letter regarding the destruction of your wand.  
  
Sincerely,  
The Ministry of Magic  
  
After reading the second letter, Harry just stood still in awe and suspicion. What in earthquakes just happened, he wondered. Never had he been let off the hook that easily besides during his earlier years of school. He knew that the Ministry of Magic, specifically Cornelius Fudge, had something against him since his fifth year of school. They all believed that he was a mischievous troublemaker and that he had to eventually be stopped in some way or the other. So why would they just dismiss his illegal magic usage as if it was no big deal. He decided to not think about it too hard, instead he would just hear what Dumbledore had to say tomorrow.  
  
Harry walked back over to bed after placing the letters on the very dusty and creaky desk.  
  
"Hedwig, I hope that you don't mind sleeping on the floor or on a piece of furniture, I didn't happen to bring your cage over here, sorry," Harry apologized to his owl. Hedwig simply nipped at his hand, perched herself upon the dresser in the room, and closed her bright eyes.  
  
After retreating to bed once more, Harry heard another noise at his window. This time, he grabbed his wand even faster and ran to the window at top speed in order to close it.  
  
What he saw was a startling surprise. 


	3. A Not So Pleasant Dream

Chapter 3)

Tonks was trying to wriggle her way through one of the window slots, despite the fact that it was only a miniscule rectangle. Harry began to help pull her into the window, until they both plopped unto the ground.

"Why didn't you just come through the front door Tonks?" asked Harry

"I'm trying to use more muggle like means of transportation instead of apparating everywhere that I go. Training for the order," replied Tonks.

"Well now you're going to be turned into a frog, we have to go tell Ms. Figg right now," spat Harry hastily.

"Calm down Harry, Arabella saw me through her window, I even waved at her as I began to crawl into your window. Plus I thought climbing through the window is just a bit more exciting than walking through the front door," remarked Tonks.

"Whatever you say," replied Harry as he realized that he was only dressed in his skivvies. He saw Tonks glance down at him, and he ran to the side of the bed where he threw his clothing. Hastily, he pulled on his pants, now too embarrassed to look at his visitor.

"So, you might be interested in what I have to tell you," said Tonks.

"Yeah, I am," replied Harry as he became a little bit more comfortable. He sat on the side of his bed as Tonks fell down onto the desk chair.

"As it turned out, there was nothing that Dumbledore could do about your usage of magic. He said that maybe you could plead self-defense, you know against the storm. But he said that would probably not work since you have broken the underage rule so many times. Sorry Harry," said Tonks as she thumbed her hair.

Harry felt a twinge of panic but then remembered about the odd letter that he had received not too long ago.

"You know, I received a really odd letter earlier this evening," said Harry, as he shuffled to give it to her.

As Tonks read the letter, her eyes became wider at every word, until she finally was through.

"The Ministry of Magic is the signature? How weird," replied Tonks. "Usually Cornelius or Mafilda or someone else of the like will be the one to sign the letters. Never is it the Ministry of Magic simply," explained Tonks.

"I know. I agree with you about the letter being strange. I wonder if it's real or a fake," said Harry.

"No it is definitely a real letter, see if it was a fake your wand would have already been destroyed by now. Consider yourself lucky. I wish that I was the one who had gotten you out of this mess but I guess you have a special guardian bigger than Dumbledore, since he couldn't even help you," said Tonks with levity. Harry wished that he could think about this situation lightheartedly but he felt as if something was just not right.

"Well Harry, I believe that I will now take my leave. And you should try and get plenty sleep, big day tomorrow" said Tonks as she stood up from her chair.

"What is it about tomorrow, I don't kn-," started Harry before he was interrupted.

"I'm not telling," retorted Tonks with a girlish grin.

"Alright bye," said Harry as Tonks disappeared with a _pop_.  
Harry once again slipped into bed with an even heavier mind. Before, he thought that maybe Dumbledore had something to do with his good luck, however now the letter remains a mystery. And mysteries involving Harry Potter are never positive or what they seem. After contemplating many different elements of his life, Harry finally drifted off to sleep...

"Alright we have thirty minutes until we have to get back unto the bus to Hogwarts. We have time to go to one more store," shouted Ron over the Hogsmeade crowd and chatter. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Luna, Seamus, Dean, Cho, and other members of Dumbledore's Army, a self-made defense club started by Harry and peers, ran along the cobblestone path.

"It's about to storm big time," shouted Luna to the group. Everyone looked up at the sky. The sky was turning gray pretty steadily and rain began to sprinkle down upon the grounds.

"Let's go to the Three Broomsticks and grab a few butterbeers. Quick, it is about to pour down," proposed Dean as the group began to run up along the long cobblestone street.

Harry jogged along with his friends, until he began to notice that they were running a little faster than him. He began to fasten his step, but the faster he got the more rapid they became. He eventually had to run at top speed, however, they ran so fast that he was not physically able to catch up with them.

"Wait up guys," screamed Harry, however no one looked back, but seemed to speed up.

Harry stopped to catch his breath and watched his friends as they ran up the long and winding cobblestone hill to the butterbeer bar. Not only had his friends been moving fast, it seemed as if everyone was moving a little faster, leaving him more and more alone with time.

Harry looked down at his legs, however they looked normal. He wondered why he could not catch up with his friends and why had they left him. He took off his glasses and wiped his eyes as he stared into the sky. Round and round he began to spin. He tried to catch his balance, however it was a futile attempt as he began to sway. The sky got darker and moodier, lightning bolts piercing the ebony clouds. Harry continued to sway, his eyes transfixed upon the sky, until he began to fall.

He didn't fall unto the ground however, but into the sky. He was twirling and spinning and screaming as he fell deeper and deeper into the dark sky. Lightning bolts struck all around him as he spun up. His hair became matted to his face and his glasses fell from his hands. Harry screamed louder and louder until he realized that he would never see the light of another day...

"Harry! Harry wake up! HARRY!" exclaimed Arabella. It was the following morning and the sun was just beginning to creep into the guest room. Harry was thrashing wildly in his bed while screaming at the top of his lungs.

Harry abruptly opened his eyes and continued to scream, however at a lower volume. When he calmed down, he just laid still staring at the dust particles illuminated by the beam of sunlight streaming onto his face.

"Did you have a nightmare Harry?" asked Arabella

"I don't know how to explain what just happened to me. It seemed so real. I've had nightmares in the past but none so real. I'm sorry if I startled you Ms. Figg," answered Harry.

"That's okay. I've made breakfast Harry, so go ahead and freshen up. Griddle cakes, smoked sausage links, coddled eggs, and a tall glass of OJ's waiting on you. Come on Harry, it was only a nightmare, you'll forget about it soon," said Arabella. She stood up from the side of Harry's bed and walked down the hall into the kitchen. Once inside the kitchen, she slowly shook her head in pity. She believed that Harry was at the receiver's end of awful and destructive luck.

Harry fell back into bed and began to think about his dream. _It seemed so real. So real…so real…and very scary… _He stood up and traipsed to the bathroom. After throwing three handfuls of cold water onto his face, he realized that he was extremely hungry. He hadn't been able to eat any of his food, which happened to be stuffed under loose floorboards in his room at the Dursley's.

The steps creaked and croaked as Harry practically ran down them to the kitchen table. What he saw was when he reached it was a terribly horrid surprise.

All three of the Dursley's were seated at the small table, looking very agitated and flustered. Harry hesitantly sat down at the table along with his family.

"Alright, it now seems as if everyones here. So let's eat," she said as she sat at the table next to Harry and Aunt Petunia.

"Oh. I think I've made a mistake," exclaimed Arabella, "Harry was supposed to get the biggest plate. He missed dinner yesterday you know," remarked Arabella as she switched Harry's plate with Dudley's. After making this move, Dudley wore a look of pure surprise that transformed into one of loathing.

"Ummm, Arabella," said Uncle Vernon, "my son is a boxer, he needs full breakfasts, more than that mena- uhhh Harry," explained Uncle Vernon as he attempted to switch their plates once more. As the plated were being moved, Arabella quickly popped Vernon's hands with a wooden spoon. He quickly released the plates and let out a loud AHEM and an abrupt sorry.

"I believe that this is my house Vernon," explained Arabella "and inside of my house today, Harry gets the largest portion of food. While speaking of Harry, I called you all this morning and arranged for breakfast because I was curious as to why Harry felt the need to retreat to my house yesterday," said Arabella with a rather sharp tone.

Harry knew that his Uncle would have to make up an explanation, and a good one at that. After all he didn't know that Arabella was affiliated with magic, she was as 'normal' as him for all he knew. And because of that, he did not want to make himself or his family look bad.

"Well, I asked Harry to look outside and _fetch_, uhhh I mean get the garbage bins that had rolled down the street. I thought that Harry had simply gone to a friend's house or something. I had no idea that Harry was in some type of danger. I would have got the pails myself if I had've known that would be the result," chucked out Vernon, now turning red from his obvious lie. "I'm sorry if you've been inconvienced," said Uncle Vernon. After speaking that blatant and outright lie, Uncle Vernon gave Harry a look that spoke a thousand words.

"Well, I hope that next time, Harry shouldn't be put into that type of dangerous situation. But from what you said, it's not your fault. I know that you're a responsible man who wouldn't ever let harm touch his family. Eat up now," said Arabella. She felt as if she had got the message across to her neighbors and that she expected them to be a little bit more humane than previous times. However Harry knew that it would take more than a scolding and a pop on the hand with a wooden spoon to transform his relatives. It would take a miracle.

"So, Harry," started Aunt Petunia, "are you feeling alright…from yesterday, you know your dear Aunt cares about you," asked Petunia, giving a quick glance at Arabella. Her neck was long and her back unnaturally straight, Harry knew that she was putting on airs to save face.

"Uhhhh, yeah, I'm great, glad to know you care," replied Harry, dripping with sugary sarcasm.

Dudley was sitting in his chair, cracking his knuckles and rubbing his brows after a hearty breakfast, he was pretty ecstatic about having received a full meal instead of the bird meals he was used to at home,

"Can we come here every morning Ms. uhh Figg?" asked Dudley.

"Dudley, you know that you can't come over here in the mornings," replied Petunia.

"But I get to eat over here, and as a matter of fact, if you don't start feeding me, I'm going to have make a special little appointment with child social services; I'm being neglected you know," said Dudley with an upturned nose and a quiet "hmmmph."

"Quiet up Dudley, and thanks Miss Figg for the food, it was interesting but I believe that we are going to be going now," said Vernon as he stood up, scraping the chair against the wooden kitchen floor. The rest of his family did the same except for Harry. He was still sitting down in his chair, looking down at his finished ceramic plate. His mind had left the sight of his scrapped coddled eggs and had once again entered the realm of his past dream. He had never had one like it. Memories of dark clouds and running feet, striking lightning…falling against gravity…cluttered his mind.

"Harry, you didn't hear me call you? Let's go. Bye again Ms. Figg," said Vernon as he left the cluttered kitchen.

"Yeah, bye Ms. Figg, thanks again for yesterday, I wish I didn't have to leave and go back _there_," said Harry after his family had left the room.

"Take care Harry and remember don't let them get you down and stop pondering over that dream, it was only what it was, a bad dream. Get some rest," said Petunia as Harry left the kitchen,

He knew that he should probably take Arabella's advice and stop mulling over the details of his nightmare but he couldn't, the dream was just too eerie. It wasn't scary but it wasn't pleasant either…far from it; it was disconcerting.

"I always did think that she was a batty old lady," spoke out Vernon as Harry and his family walked to the car.

"She had the nerve to invite us to breakfast while her hair rollers were still tangled into that bird nest of hers. How horrid," replied Petunia.

"I like her," simply replied Dudley as he gave his enlargened belly a pat.

Now their true colors return thought Harry as he followed them to the car.


End file.
